16 MARCH 2025 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition CHURCH UNITED Our simple theory of change at Church United is this: Healthy Leaders, Thriving Churches and Flourishing Cities. For the last twenty years, I have served as a woman in ministry leadership and a pastor’s wife. Over those years I have witnessed any women – if not all– who serve in Church leadership hold a tension of a deep love for Jesus and his Church with the often-lonely challenge of being a gifted woman laboring for Christ and his Kingdom. Yet, one thing has become clear to me throughout my journey: to be a healthy Church leader, kingdom women need other kingdom women in their lives. From safe friendship to process the day-to-day grind, to shared learnings and gleaning best-practices from other ministry contexts, we are never going to help women move from a mindset of competition to one of John 17 co-laboring without trust, friendships and community. Healthy Leaders In 2024 Church United launched a Women’s Leadership Team comprised of a diverse group of both pastors’ wives as well as women serving in ministry leadership and pastoral roles throughout South Florida. These women are lending their voice, time, giftedness and diverse perspectives to pioneer a new wave of spiritual care, collaboration and support through the lens of Church United’s goal to unify and inspire leaders to connect, collaborate and celebrate together. Beginning with an intentional focus on “healthy leaders” in launching soul care cohorts, these cohorts are becoming places where friendships are discovered, calling is clarified, and spiritual health and renewal are found. As the demands on pastor’s wives and female leaders in churches continue to grow, the importance of intentional self-care and spiritual nourishment has never been more critical. Over the years, many pastor’s wives and female leaders have expressed the need for a community where they can be vulnerable, find support and be equipped to lead from a place of biblical meekness. Our cohorts are not just a retreat or an occasional gathering — they are intentional, ongoing programs designed to foster deep spiritual renewal and ministry friendships. They also provide training on how to cultivate spiritual health in a leadership context, with the goals of preventing personal burnout and encouraging long-term, sustainable ministry and taking those learnings back to their own ministry teams and environments. Thriving Churches The role of the pastor’s wife has at times been focused on supporting her husband’s ministry, leading women’s groups and managing church-related responsibilities, often at the expense of her own spiritual well-being. As one pastor’s wife who is currently in a cohort, “being a pastor’s wife can be isolating. The Soul Care cohorts have been a lifeline for me, giving me a place where I can be vulnerable, share my struggles, and receive prayer and encouragement from other ministry women who truly understand.” Women are the fastest growing population of leaders entering ministry. Today, 36% of seminary enrollment comprises of women – up from 13% just 10 years ago. In fact, 56% of church staffs across America with over 20% representing pastoral positions (up from 2.3% in 1960) are women. Focusing on both pastors’ wives as well as women serving in ministry leadership roles, Church United’s cohorts are providing a crucial support system for ministry women, offering them a chance to recharge and grow in their personal faith, which in turn strengthens their ability to lead effectively. Listening to the feedback and the needs women in our cohorts are experiencing, we are excited to share that we are launching a formal learning community cohort later this year. Partnering with Knox Seminary and the voices of leading Kingdom women like Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, Lisa Harper, Wendy Palau, Lisa Fields and others, this cohort will focus on strengthening both the souls and the minds of women serving in our local churches. Flourishing Cities In South Florida, churches are beginning to recognize the importance of investing in the well-being of their female leaders, and Church United Soul Care Cohorts are at the forefront of this movement. When our pastor’s wives and women in leadership are thriving spiritually, it reflects in the entire church community. These cohorts not only help the women involved but also positively impact the people they lead. The Church United Soul Care Cohorts in South Florida are more than just programs — they are a movement that empowers women in ministry to lead from a place of wholeness and to experience the fullness of life that comes with being deeply connected to God. If interested in joining a Church United Soul Care Cohort, go to churchunitedfl.com Allison Hix serves as the Program and Relationship Manager and Director of Women’s Soul Care Programs for Church United. She is also Women Ministry Lead at The Avenue Church, where her husband, Jon Hix, serves as Executive Pastor. Strengthening and Amplifying the Voice of Half the Church - Allie Hix - Program and Relationship Manager and Director of Women’s Soul Care Programs, Church United Pictured above is the Church United Women’s Soul Care Leadership Team 2024-2025. Sara Copeland, Wendy Lane, Allie Hix, Denise Trio, Kiesha Wilkinson, Nik Greenfield, Melissa Elswick, Elizabeth Mitchell.
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